Production method of poly (phenylene ether ether ketone)

Abstract

There is provided a production method of poly(phenylene ether ether ketone). The production method makes a cyclic poly(phenylene ether ether ketone) composition subjected to thermal ring-opening polymerization in the presence of a metal alkoxide and/or a metal phenoxide. The cyclic poly(phenylene ether ether ketone) composition includes 60% by weight or more of cyclic poly(phenylene ether ether ketone) and has a melting point of 270° C. or lower.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A production method of poly(phenylene ether ether ketone),
 the production method making a cyclic poly(phenylene ether ether ketone) composition subjected to thermal ring-opening polymerization in the presence of a metal phenoxide, wherein 
 the cyclic poly(phenylene ether ether ketone) composition includes 60% by weight or more of cyclic poly(phenylene ether ether ketone) expressed by General Formula (I), 
 the cyclic poly(phenylene ether ether ketone) is a cyclic poly(phenylene ether ether ketone) mixture having different integers m, and 
 the composition has a melting point of 270° C. or lower: 
 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
          wherein m in Formula (I) represents an integer of 2 to 40, wherein 
         the metal phenoxide is at least one selected among General Formulae below: 
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
          (wherein M represents at least one species selected among Li, Na, K and Cs). 
       
     
     
       2. The production method of poly(phenylene ether ether ketone) according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the thermal ring-opening polymerization is performed at a temperature of 335° C. or lower. 
 
     
     
       3. The production method of poly(phenylene ether ether ketone) according to  claim 1 ,
 the production method adding the metal phenoxide to the cyclic poly(phenylene ether ether ketone) composition, such that an addition amount of the metal alkoxide and/or the metal phenoxide is 0.001 to 50 mol % relative to 1 mol of a repeating unit expressed by a formula —(O-Ph-O-Ph-CO-Ph)-, which is a primary structural unit of the cyclic poly(phenylene ether ether ketone). 
 
     
     
       4. The production method of poly(phenylene ether ether ketone) according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the cyclic poly(phenylene ether ether ketone) composition has a melting point of 250° C. or lower. 
 
     
     
       5. The production method of poly(phenylene ether ether ketone) according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the cyclic poly(phenylene ether ether ketone) composition has a melting point of 230° C. or lower. 
 
     
     
       6. The production method of poly(phenylene ether ether ketone) according to  claim 1 ,
 the production method adding an additive which has an electron-withdrawing leaving group X and is expressed by a formula R 2 —X to the cyclic poly(phenylene ether ether ketone) composition, such that an addition amount of the additive is 0.001 to 50 mol % relative to 1 mol of a repeating unit expressed by a formula —(O-Ph-O-Ph-CO-Ph)-, which is a primary structural unit of the cyclic poly(phenylene ether ether ketone), 
 
       wherein R 2  represents an aliphatic group containing 1 to 20 carbon atoms or an aromatic group containing 6 to 30 carbon atoms, wherein an aromatic ring optionally includes an alkyl group, a phenyl group or another heteroatom-containing substituent group.